The original 2007 release of The Witcher 1 is a cult classic, but let’s be real the loading screens and linear paths haven’t aged gracefully. This is why the game is getting a full remake with an open world in Unreal Engine 5.
That friction is officially history. In a recent financial update, CD Projekt Red described the project as a “story-driven, single-player open-world RPG”. Confirming a massive departure from the restrictive, chapter-based design of the source material.
A modern engine for a classic story
We already knew the remake of the Witcher 1 codenamed “Canis Majoris” was being built in Unreal Engine 5 with a potential open world, but the scope was a mystery until now. Development is being handled by Fool’s Theory, a studio stacked with veterans who worked on the earlier games.
They are rebuilding the experience from scratch, so this isn’t just a texture pack update. This is a full scale modernization designed to bring Geralt’s first adventure up to the standards set by The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
No more invisible walls
If you played the original, you remember how locked down the movement felt. This was a problem because you were stuck in specific zones until the story allowed you to move on. An open-world approach changes the entire flow. It suggests we will be able to explore Vizima and its outskirts seamlessly, likecly with the exploration freedom that defined the later entries.
The wait continues for the witcher remake
Don’t clear your calendar just yet. The project is still in the early stages, and CDPR has said they want to take their time to get this right. But for fans who found the first game too clunky to revisit, this is the best news possible. We will keep you posted as soon as we see gameplay.